Means for separating the constituents of gaseous mixtures



A. J. FAUSEK ETAL MEANS FOR SEPARATING THE GONSTITUENTS OF GASEOUS MIXTURES Flled Aug 4, 1943 Patented Dec. 27, 1949- MEANS FOR SEPARATING THE CONSTITU- ENTS F GASEOUS MIXTURES Arthur J. Fausek and Irwing F. Fausek, Clayton, Mo.

Application August 4, 1943, Serial No. 497,302

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to an appaperforming its intended function in an improved.

and more efficient manner than was possible with apparatus heretofore known.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section showing the improved dephlegmator structure of the present invention arranged at the lower portion of a column of a separating apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of a portion of the dephlegmator structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the members shown in Fig. 2 for supporting and centering the injector tubes illustrated in that view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of one of the liquefying tubes of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for purposes -of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, C designates a column of a separating apparatus whoselower portion constitutes a dephlegmator I9 constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention. The dephlegmator I9 includes an inner cylindrical shell 2| which is disposed throughout a major portion of its length centrally within the shell of the column C, a lower portion of said inner shell projecting out of the lower end of the colunm shell 20 and being extended some distance below the bottom thereof. Arranged at the lower end of the shell 20 of the column C is a' horizontal wall 22, said horizontal wall being provided with `a centrally located opening through which the inner cylindrical shell 2| extends, and outer and inner annular ilanges 22a and 22h of said horizontal wall being suitably secured to said outer and inner shells, respectively. Likewise, the lower end of the inner, cylindrical shell 2| is closed by a closure member 23 which is suitably secured thereto. The dephlegmator structure includes a receptacle I8 which is of annular formation and surrounds the inner cylindrical shell 2 I, a conductor I1 being in communication with the annular chamber I8 of said receptacle I8.

Located above the horizontal wall 22, heretofore mentioned, is another horizontal wall 24 which is provided with upwardly and downwardly extended annular, circumferential flanges 24' to which upper and lower portions of the shell 20 of the column C are secured-by welding, or otherwise. In like manner upper and lower portions of the inner cylindrical shell 2| are secured by welding, or otherwise, to annular shoulders forming parts of said horizontal wall 24. The horizontal wall 24 is provided with a plurality of portions 25 of increased height which are located between the walls of the outer shell 20 and the inner shell 2|, as shown in Fig. 1, and each of these portions 25 supports a pair of tubes 26 which extend upwardly from said portions of said horizontal wall a considerable distance. The portions 25 are spaced circumferentially with respect to the horizontal wall 24 and the tubes 26 supported thereby are arranged in a pair of circular rows, one within the other. The openings of the lower extensions of the portions 25 of the horizontal wall 24 preferably have diameters slightly greater than the outer diameter of the tubes 26, and each portion 25 is provided with a pair of tapered seats 2l at its lower end which are alined with the tubes 26 supported by said portion 25.

At their upper ends the tubes 26 are secured by welding, or otherwise, to the bottom wall of a hollow head 28 which is made up of a lower portion 28a and an upper portion 28h, said portions 28a and 28h of said head being provided with circumferential flanges which are suitably secured together, and said portions being so shaped as to provide the head with an enclosed fluidtight and gas-tight chamber 29. The upper portions of the tubes 26 extend through openings formed through the bottom wall oi' the head 28 and communicate with the chamber 29 thereof. Additionally, the dephlegmator I9 includes a bank of'inner4 tubes 30 which are disposed within the inner shell 2| and are secured by Welding, or otherwise, `to the horizontal wall 24 and the bottom wall of the head 28, said tubes 30 communicating at their upper ends with the chamber 29 of the head 28 and having open lower ends which terminate at points located slightly below the horizontal wall 24. Supported by the head 28, and secured by welding. or otherwise, to the top and bottom walls thereof is a centrally located tube 3|. The centrally located tube projects upwardly above the top wall of the head 28 into a cavity 32 provided by an upwardly projected extension 33 of said top wall of said head, and said centrally located tube terminates 3 at its lower end at a point located slightly above the horizontal wall 24.

Associated with the tubes 26 is a lplurality of injection tubes 34 of less diameter, there being one of the injection tubes 34 associated with each of the tubes 26 and each injection tube 34 being extended upwardly into itsassociated tube 26. At their lower portions the injection tubes 34 extend through openings formed in wall por- An extremely important feature of the present' invention has to do with the construction and the interior arrangement of the tubes 26 of the dephlegmator I9. Each of these tubes 26 has formed in the wall thereof a plurality of channels 36 which extend longitudinally of the tube in a helical manner from the upper portion of the tube to the lower end thereof. Also, arranged within each tube 26 is an elongated baille 31 of helical formation, the windings of which extend helically in the opposite direction to the direction of extension of the helically extended channels 36 of the tube. In other words, the channels 36 ofthe tubes 26 may rotate in a right-hand manner, while the windings of the baille 31 may rotate in a left-hand manner. The helical baille 31 of each tube 26 extends from the upper portion of the tube in which it is arranged downwardly to the top edge of the associated injection tube 34 by which it is supported, and the transverse dimension of said helical bame is approximately the same as the interior diameter of the associated tube. The function of the helical bailles 31 is to cause atmosphere which passes upwardly through the tubes 26, as will be presently explained in more detaiLto be forced outwardly by the helical curvatures of the bafiies 31 into close contact with the cold walls of the tubes, so as to render more eiiicient the operation of separating the constituents of said atmosphere, while the function of the helical channels 36 is to provide definite channelways through which liquid rich in oxygen, which is separated from the atmosphere during its upward passage through the tubes 26, may ow downwardly of the tubes and out of the lower ends thereof with a minimum of interference from the upwardly moving atmosphere. Liquid which flows out of the lower ends of the tubes 26, as explained above, gathers in an annular chamber 38 which is defined by the horizontal walls 22 and 24, and by lower portions of the outer shell 26 and the inner shell 2|, as shown in Fig. l, and communicating with this chamber is a conductor 39.

In the operation of the improved dephlegmator, atmosphere is delivered by the conductor lI1 to the receptacle I8 and this atmosphere passes upwardly from said receptacle throughl the injection tubes 34 and is discharged upwardly into the tubes 26. These tubes 26 are extremely coldl being surrounded by a body of liquid oxygen 0, and therefore liquefaction of the atmosphere discharged into vthe tubes 26 by the iDJection tubes 64 is brought about within said tubes 26. As a result of such liquefaction of the atmosphere passing upwardly through the tubes 26, liquid rich in oxygen collects on the inner faces of the tubes and ilows downwardly of the tubes 26 and is discharged from the lower ends thereof into the annular chamber 36 with which the lower open ends of said tubes 26 communicate. The action of liquefying the atmosphere that passes upwardly through the tubes 26 is improved and enhanced because of the presence within said tubes of the helical bales 31 which, because of their helical form, force the atmosphere outwardly against the cold walls of the tube and thereby subject substantially all of such atmosphere to the cooling effect of the cold walls of the tubes. Also,` because the inner faces of the tubes 26 are provided with the helical channelways 36, definite channels or passageways are provided for thedownwardly moving liquid rich in oxygen, through which channels said liquid may flow with the minimum of interference from the upwardly moving vaporous atmosphere.

, The vapors which reach the upper ends of the tubes 26 are made up largely of impure nitrogen with a relatively small percentage of oxygen adhering thereto. and these vapors are discharged into the chamber 29 of the head 28 whence they move downwardly through the descending tubes 30 to the chamber provided in the lower portion of the inner shell 2l of the dephlegmator. The cold liquid and vapors that so gather in the chamber referred to are conducted therefrom by the conductor 41.

Likewise, the liquid rich in oxygen that gathers in the chamber 38 passes upwardly therefrom through the conductor 39 to the upper portion of the column C, said liquid moving downwardly through the upper portion of the column and eventually passing into the trap 32 at the top of the head 28 of the dephlegmator I9 wherein said liquid overflows into the tube 3l and is discharged into the chamber provided by the inner shell 2l and the horizontal wall '24. This liquid, which is substantially pure oxygen, builds up in the chamber referred to until it overflows the top of the inner shell 2| and fills the chamber between4 the inner and outer shells 20 and 2l to the approximate level of the top of the inner shell to provide a body'of oxygen O as indicated in Fig. l. Also, liquid moving downwardly from the upper portion of the column C passes around the head 28 into the chamber provided by the lower portion of the outer shell 20 and the horizontal wall 24.

The body of liquidoxygen O at the dephlegmator I9 is substantially pure oxygen and this oxygen is conducted away from the column C by the pipe 15b. It is to be noted that a pipe 16a is tapped into the column C at a point located slightly above the level of the body of liquid 0 at the dephlegmator I9 while the pipe 15b is tapped into said column at a point located some distance below said liquid level. Because of this arrangement either liquid oxygen or gaseous oxygen may be drawn from the column.

We claim:

An apparatus for separating atmosphere into its constituents which comprises a dephlegmator wherein a constituent of atmosphere is liqueed and separated from the remaining constituents of the atmosphere, said dephlegmator including a vertical liquefying tube, the wall of which is maintained in a cold condition and which is adapted for passage therethrough of atmosphere being acted on by the apparatus,

a helical bame disposed within said liquefying tube and adapted to cause atmosphere passing through said tube to move in contact withthe wall thereof, and a helical channelway formed in the wall of said liquefying tube at the inner face REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATEN'I'S Number -Name 406.512 988,661 Power Apr. 4, 1911 11,204,300 Moore Nov. 7. 191e Date Hoppes July 9, 1889 2 Number Number Name Date Wilkinson )lay 28, 1925 Van Nuys May 26, 1925 Van Nuys Aug. 11, 1925 Recordon Nov. 24, 1925 Schlitt Oct. 26, 1926 Huet Mar. 15, 1932 Podbielniak July l1. 1933 McLaughlin Oct. 17, 1933 Frank] June 19, 1934 Wagenseller Mar. 19, 1935 Ris Oct. 25, 1938 Twomy Feb. "l, 1939 Densmore May 16, 1939 Bonnaud Oct. 8, 1940 McCurdy Jan. 28, 1941 Lecky Apr. 20, 1943 Bailey June 1, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 19. 1913 

